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Long-term Geochemical Evolution of Lithogenic Versus Anthropogenic Distribution of Macro and Trace Elements in Household Attic Dust

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Abstract

Attic dusts were examined as historical archives of anthropogenic emissions, with the goal of elucidating the enrichment pathways associated with hydrothermal exploitation of Cu, Pb, and Zn minerals in the Bregalnica River basin in the eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia. Dust samples were collected from 84 settlements. Atomic emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma were applied as analytical techniques for the determination of 69 element contents. Multivariate analysis was applied for the extraction of dominant geochemical markers. The lithogenic distribution was simplified to six dominant geochemical markers: F1: Ga-Nb–Ta–Y–(La–Gd)–(Eu–Lu); F2: Be–Cr–Li–Mg–Ni; F3: Ag–Bi–Cd–Cu–In–Mn–Pb–Sb–Te–W–Zn; F4: Ba–Cs–Hf–Pd–Rb–Sr–Tl–Zr; F5: As-Co–Ge–V; and F6: К–Na–Sc–Ti. The anthropogenic effects on the air pollution were marked by a dominance of F3 and secondary dominance of F5. The fifth factor also was determined as a lithogenic marker for the occurrence of the very old Rifeous shales. The first factor also presents a very unique association that despite the heterogeneity relays on natural phenomena of tracking the deposition in areas of Proterosoic gneisses; related to the distribution of fine particles was associated with carbonate–silicate volcanic rocks. Intensive poly-metallic dust depositions were recorded only in the surroundings of localities where the hydrothermal extractions are implemented. Long-term deposition can be considered as pollution indexes for these hot spots. This mainly affects the Cd, Pb, and Zn deposition that is as high as 25, 3900, and 3200 mg/kg, respectively.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by Core Program, under the support of ANCSI, Project No. PN16.40.02.01.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Agriculture, University “Goce Delčev”, Krste Misirkov bb, Štip, Republic of Macedonia

    Biljana Balabanova

  2. Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, POB 162, 1000, Skopje, Macedonia

    Trajče Stafilov

  3. Geological Survey of Slovenia, Dimičeva ulica 14, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Robert Šajn

  4. INCDO-INOE 2000 Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation (ICIA), Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Claudiu Tănăselia

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  1. Biljana Balabanova
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  2. Trajče Stafilov
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  4. Claudiu Tănăselia
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Correspondence to Trajče Stafilov.

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Balabanova, B., Stafilov, T., Šajn, R. et al. Long-term Geochemical Evolution of Lithogenic Versus Anthropogenic Distribution of Macro and Trace Elements in Household Attic Dust. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 72, 88–107 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-016-0336-y

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